SIMLAB MERCEDES-AMG PETRONAS F1

Our rating: 9.6/10

Simlab is a major player in the sim-racing industry and the official partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas eSport F1 team. This sim-racing brand mainly offers cockpits that are, to be honest, quite affordable, as well as peripherals such as dashboards, button panels, and more. Simlab’s catalog is fairly comprehensive, but it still suffers from a limited selection of products—at least when it comes to cockpits. The Dutch brand was founded in 2015 when its founder couldn’t find high-quality cockpits without blowing his sim-racing budget. And that’s why Simlab’s products are relatively inexpensive compared to the competition.

To expand its range of peripherals, Simlab has acquired Grid Engineering in 2021, and has added numerous products to its catalog, such as a few steering wheels and other accessories. Speaking of wheels, Simlab carries a few, mainly barebones models developed and manufactured in partnership with OMP and Sparco.

But for 2024, the Dutch brand has given us a pleasant surprise by developing, in partnership with Mercedes-AMG, a steering wheel for sim-racing: the F1. This is an officially licensed AMG steering wheel for Formula 1 race cars, and in the following section, we’ll take a closer look at it.

Main and technical features of the steering wheel

• F1-type steering wheel with 28 cm diameter
• Weighs 1.24 kg with QR hub
• Carbon fiber structure
• Large 4.3″ display on the front panel with 480×800 resolution, and a glass panel to protect it
• Rear-mounted paddles for Push-Pull gears
• 12 buttons and 9 rotary switches on front panel, with 2 additional buttons on rear panel
• Compatible with all PC bases with a 70 mm QR pattern
• Compatible with RaceDirector and SimHub
• Connection to PC via Lumberg/USB, and rear-attachable cable
• RevLED on top of front panel

Design

In terms of design, it’s nothing more or less than a replica of the steering wheels found in the single-seaters ofHamilton and Russell. The steering wheel features a very distinctive F1 design, with handles that open downward. In the center of the dashboard is a 4.3-inch screen that displays a wealth of information about the races and your race car.

All around the steering wheel are controls, including buttons and rotary switches in all sorts of colors. The steering wheel is flashy, even though its design remains fairly understated. Nevertheless, Simlab’s F1 is a beautiful steering wheel that will delight single-seater fans.

Customized assembly

Just like Grid’s steering wheels, the Simlab F1 features a universal hub with a 70 mm pattern, allowing it to be used with virtually any Direct Drive base with a QR mount available on the market. You can easily use this steering wheel with Simagic, Simucube, Fanatec, Moza, and many other bases.

Installing the quick-release mechanism is very quick, and everything you need to complete the installation is included with the steering wheel in the box. All you have to do is screw the QR Wheel Side from your base onto the F1 hub, and you’re all set. You may need a hub for certain bases, and this is not included with the Simlab F1.

Manufacturing and finishing

As an officially licensed AMG F1 steering wheel, the entire Simlab wheel is constructed from carbon fiber. The grips are wrapped in silicone to provide a good level of grip, whether you’re wearing gloves or not.

As for build quality, it’s top-notch—which is to be expected given the price of this little gem—but we’ll come back to that point later. Every part of this wheel—whether it’s the buttons, the paddles on the back, the rotary switches, or the screen—is assembled to perfection on the Simlab F1.

On the back, the steering wheel has 3 paddles—one for the clutch and two for the gears. For the gearshift paddles, there is actually a single carbon-fiber paddle in a push-pull configuration. This means you can shift gears with just one hand, and since it’s made of carbon fiber, it’s a premium feature.

Handling the steering wheel

The Simlab F1 has a diameter of 28 cm and features downward-facing handles. As a result, this steering wheel offers excellent ergonomics, making it perfect for long sim-racing sessions on F1 24.

What’s more, all the controls are within easy reach, so you don’t have to take your hands off the wheel to activate a specific feature. Of course, this isn’t the case with the rotary switches located below the screen, but that’s how F1 drivers do it, too.

Speaking of the screen, it measures 4.3 inches diagonally and makes it very easy to read the information displayed on it. You can configure it however you like—the same goes for the RevLED—and all of this can be done using RaceDirector and SimHub on a PC.

As for the paddles on the back, the shift paddle is a push-pull design made entirely of carbon fiber. It’s easily accessible and can be used with minimal effort on your part.

Sensations during play

The Simlab F1 is a steering wheel that must be paired with a high-quality Direct Drive base capable of delivering at least 15 nm of torque. On a Simucube 2 Sport—or a Simucube 2 Pro, for that matter, though the latter delivers far more torque than you’ll ever need—the F1 is an absolute joy to use.

The in-game feel is superb, with excellent reproduction of effects. The hub on the back allows for a seamless connection with the base’s QR, ensuring an excellent in-game experience. The paddles on the back—especially the gearshift paddle—are a joy to use. The push-pull configuration lets you shift gears with one hand—just like Hamilton or Russell do—while still being able to adjust the switches with your other hand, for example.

What’s more, the silicone on the grips is high-quality, ensuring a secure grip during even your longest sim-racing sessions. The Simlab F1 is quite simply the ultimate steering wheel for fans of the pinnacle of motorsports, and can also be used for endurance races in Le Mans prototypes.

Compatibility

When it comes to Direct Drive bases, the Simlab F1 is compatible with those from Simucube, Fanatec, Moza, Simagic, Asetek, and VRS. The complete list is available on the Simlab website, with nearly full support for these devices—provided you have the right hubs.

As far as sim-racing titles are concerned, this is an F1 steering wheel, so EA’s title is supported, as are the tenors of the industry, but only on PC.

Value for money

So, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Simlab costs nearly €2,700 on the sim-racing brand’s website, which is very expensive for a steering wheel. But it’s important to remember that this is an official steering wheel of the AMG-Petronas F1 eSport team, and it’s virtually identical to the one found in Hamilton and Russell’s race cars.

It offers great value for the money—if you ignore the price tag, of course. With its carbon fiber construction, huge display, and controls, this steering wheel is pure joy.

My verdict

Is the Simlab F1 an excellent steering wheel for racing in the premier class of motorsports, as well as in endurance racing? Yes, it’s more than just excellent. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the ultimate steering wheel for those types of races—provided you have the right setup to go with it, and the bank account to back it up.

Clearly, Simlab won’t be selling these steering wheels by the bucketload, given the manufacturer’s asking price (€2,700), but they’re sure to find takers among fans of F1 and endurance single-seaters and other prototypes on iRacing and any other simulation title.

If your sim-racing setup focuses solely on the motorsport disciplines I just mentioned, and you have a good budget for your hobby, then you might want to consider adding this steering wheel to your collection of high-end gear. But if you do a little bit of everything in sim racing, this is certainly not the best option for a steering wheel—unless, of course, you have a separate wheel for each discipline.